1. Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for brokering transactions of merchandise via a medium such as the Internet. Instead of using a simple marketplace operating scheme in which merchandise are delivered by selecting the merchandise and paying a price of the merchandise, a method and system is provided in which a buyer requests an estimate from a seller by selecting estimate items registered by the seller, selects one of various estimates suggested by the seller in response to the request, and performs payment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, there are many on-line shopping malls that manage electronic commerce, such as by brokering the trading of goods or services on the Internet. The on-line shopping malls enable buyers to conveniently purchase a variety of goods or services registered by sellers from within their own homes.
Brokerage methods currently used in on-line shopping malls include a method by which buyers select and purchase goods or services for which prices and conditions are registered by sellers, and an auction or reverse-auction method. The auction is advantageous to sellers because the auction is won by a highest bidding buyer, and the reverse auction is advantageous to buyers because the reverse auction is won by a lowest bidding seller. Accordingly, the auction is not conducive to transactions at prices and conditions that are advantageous to buyers and thus it is not easy to induce many buyers to bid. Meanwhile, the reverse auction is not conducive to transactions at prices and conditions that are advantageous to sellers and thus it is not easy to induce many sellers to bid.
A combination of the auction and the reverse auction has been used to overcome the shortcomings of both methods. For example, a buyer can negotiate for a different price or conditions than suggested by a seller and purchase merchandise at the resulting price and conditions. When the negotiation is unsuccessful, the buyer can attempt to negotiate with other sellers for purchase of desired merchandise. However, this negotiation-based electronic commerce is limited due to the conflict between a buyer desiring discount and a seller desiring higher price.
In addition, there is also a method in which a plurality of sellers respond to an estimate from a buyer, who selects the sellers one by one for negotiation. However, this estimate bidding scheme creates increased indirect transaction costs for both parties when price and conditions are not smoothly negotiated between a buyer and a seller.
Accordingly, there is a need for an on-line marketplace that allows a buyer and a seller to advantageously use electronic commerce at no extra charge through various appropriate estimates.